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Philippines: Government

Key Figures

Chief of State: President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III

Head of Government: President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III

Overview

Government Name: Republic of the Philippines

Constitution: Adopted: 1987; Details the structure of the three branches of government and discusses topics such as citizenship, suffrafe, local government, social justice and human rights, and the family, among others.

President selects judges and justices from nominees given by the Judicial and Bar Council.

Mandatory retirement age of 70

Legislative

All bills need consent of both houses to be submitted to the president. Congress can override presidential veto with a two-thirds supermajority. Senate has the power to vote upon treaties while the House may only introduce money bills. Additionally the House has the power to impeach while the Senate may try the impeached official.

Senate members are elected by plurality vote in multi-member constituencies. House of Representatives has 230 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies and 57 members through a closed-list proportional representation system.

Senate: 6 years; House of Representatives: 3 years

International Relations

Foreign Policy Trends: The fundamental Philippine attachment to democracy and human rights is reflected in its foreign policy. Philippine soldiers and police have participated in a number of multilateral civilian police and peacekeeping operations, and a Philippine Army general served as the first commander of the UN Peacekeeping Operation in East Timor. The Philippines presently has peacekeepers deployed in eight UN peacekeeping operations worldwide. The Philippines participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying some 50 troops to Iraq in 2003. (These troops were subsequently withdrawn in 2004 after the kidnapping of a Filipino overseas worker.) The Philippine Government also has been active in efforts to reduce tensions among rival claimants to the territories and waters of the resource-rich South China Sea.